Heights for Routes

One of our supporters Gwyver asked if we could update our GPS mapping app to add heights to any route¹ you create when it's downloaded. It's perfectly valid to include heights for each route point (wrapped in <ele>...</ele> tags in the GPX file) but we didn't realise anyone would find it useful however it turns out that some GPSs, e.g. the SatMap Active 20, can show route height profiles if you supply this data.

As we have height data across the whole of the British Isles we have done this so when you download any route you create from now on the GPX file will include heights at each route point.

On the back of this we've also starting displaying those heights in the "Your Route" box, as this route for a quick wander up Latrigg demonstrates.

By the way this also works for existing routes. So if you have a route you've previously created using our app or downloaded from another site then if you upload it to the app you will see heights appear and, if you download it from the app, we will add heights to the GPX file.

1. A route describes where you are intending to go, point by point. For more information click here.

By SheepFarmer on 19/08/19 at 3:00pm

Paul,

I presume that it's this new height feature added to routes that is now causing an error & failure to import them into Basecamp. Things were ok early am, no go after lunch.

permalink

By TallPaul on 19/08/19 at 3:11pm (last edited 19/08/19 at 3:29pm)

Oh dear, I fear it does. When I plug a new GPX file into an XML validator I'm getting a parse error ... which is odd because the schema suggests that <ele>...</ele> is perfectly valid in a route¹ waypoint. I will investigate.

1. A route describes where you are intending to go, point by point. For more information click here.

permalink

By TallPaul on 19/08/19 at 3:29pm (last edited 19/08/19 at 6:13pm)

Ah, my mistake, it turns out that in this DTD ordering is important, so <ele>...</ele> must come before <name>...</name> and not after, which is where I'd put it.

I've now flipped them round and when I download a route¹ GPX now it validates correctly so I think Basecamp will like it but could you check please?

If I'm right then you can "fix" any route GPXs you've created today by uploading them to our app and then downloading them again.

1. A route describes where you are intending to go, point by point. For more information click here.

permalink

By SheepFarmer on 19/08/19 at 3:55pm

Sorted, Basecamp will now accept newly, since the fix, downloaded routes. Thank You.

TallPaul likes this post

permalink